BNP’s Dhaka city unit convening committee’s maiden meeting Wednesday

 The maiden meeting of the newly formed BNP’s Dhaka city unit convening committee is likely to be held on Wednesday to start its formal journey.

Though a meeting-cum-Iftar party of the new committee was scheduled to be held on Monday at Hotel Purbani, the convener of the body postponed it as he and some other senior leaders are still reeling from the shock they have got following the inclusion of some ‘unwarranted people in the committee against their choice, a joint convener of the committee said.

He said the meeting now deferred to Wednesday.

A-52 member convening committee making party standing committee member Mirza Abbas its convener and Habibun Nabi Sohel member secretary was announced on Friday night.

Three days have elapsed since the announcement of the body, but it is yet to begin its activities due to internal conflict, party insiders said.

Earlier on Sunday, a group of city BNP leaders, led by new committee’s number-1 joint convener Abdul Mintoo, had a closed-door meeting with Mirza Abbas to convince him to start work immediately.

They have been able to persuade Abbas to throw an Iftar party on Monday in honour of all members of the new committee and thus work out their next course of action.

Abbas was upset as Habibun Nabi Sohel has been made member secretary of the committee despite a decision that there would be no such post in the committee unlike in the past.

Inclusion of some people loyal to Sadeque Hossain Khoka in the committee, excluding BNP leaders like Khairul Kabir Khokon, Mohammad Shahjahan and Abdus Salam Azad from it also disappointed the convener.

The joint convener of the body, who preferred not to be named, told UNB that not only Abbas, but also other senior leaders of the new committee are unhappy as they think some tested, dedicated and potential leaders were excluded from the committee by a vested quarter convincing the party chief.

He, however, said some leaders, including Abdul Awal Mintoo and Barkatullah Bulu, are trying to convince Abbas and others to begin activities of the new committee before Khaleda’s return to Dhaka from Saudi Arabia.

Following their hectic efforts, it was decided that the new committee will hold its maiden meeting at BNP’s Dhaka city office on Wednesday.

It was also decided tat the committee members led by Abbas will pay homage to party founder Ziaur Rahman’s mazar on July 25.

The leaders who are trying to convince the aggrieved ones advised Sohel to maintain a low profile and not to talk to the media before Abbas initiates the committee activities.

Source: UNB